Today is Imbolc which in the Celtic calendar marks the end of winter and beginning of spring.

Imbolc comes from Old Irish, meaning 'in the belly', referring to the stirring of life in pregnant ewes. It is a celebration of light and the first signs of spring after the long dark winter. Traditionally it's a time of renewal and new beginnings as the natural world begins to awaken. You might have spotted some of these stirrings; the first snowdrops and crocuses and the swellings of buds on some trees.

Imbolc is also known as St Brigid's Day and the goddess St Brigid is honoured on the eve by weaving a cross from rushes. She is said to represent youthful potential, inspiration and fertility, the perfect qualities for spring.

Here's a video to help you have a go at weaving your own cross at home.

Wondering what to sow in February?

It can be tempting to steam ahead with sowing now that Imbolc has arrived and the first stirrings of spring are in the air.

We've tentatively started sowing sweet peas, Iceland poppies, peas (for indoors) and mizuna but we normally wait a few more weeks to really start getting busy on the propagation bench.

There's still high chance that the next 'beast from the east' might roll in with freezing temperatures and unless you've got heated propagation benches sowing now won't give you much of a head start.

We'll be sowing our tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in the next couple of weeks.

For most other crops we'll be waiting until March to start sowing when there is much more warmth and light.

In the meantime, we're busily packing up your orders and sending them across the country to your homes and gardens. It's an inspiring job to pack up each envelope and dream about the potential tucked within. Head to our seed shop if you haven't got your order in yet!

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for our next newsletter which will be a deep dive into our sowing techniques for chillies, peppers and aubergines!

Happy growing

Chloe and the rest of the team

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